Even after all these years on the dance floor, performer, choreographer and teacher Ronda Byers is still proving herself.
Oh, hardly to the nearly 1,000 people annually who have seen her own moves with partner-competitors or watched her creative steps performed by others at Dancing With the Stars Columbus Style. No, she has heard her share of applause and affirmation there, and at her local Dance Street Studio as well.
But, sometimes, a decades-old voice echoes in her head. It’s one from her childhood when someone told her that she had no rhythm, which is roughly akin to telling the sun that it cannot sufficiently shine.
It seems a bit crazy given her success.
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“I know what it’s like to be scared (of failing),” she said.
So the woman who has spun and flipped and jazz-stepped her way into the hearts of local dance fans will continue to push herself to quiet that voice — and allow the exuberance of creating make her forget such doubt. People can see for themselves when her choreography guides three of the nine entrants in the latest Dancing With the Stars Columbus Style fundraiser Jan. 25 at The Commons. The gathering that attracted 800 people divided among two shows last year benefits Children Inc. Learning Center and Home School Partners.
“Dance is way more than steps,” she said, relaxing at a local coffee shop not far from her home near Brown County. “It’s a feeling. It’s a way to communicate.”
As much as anything, the former Purdue University Gold Dusters dance team member communicates unbridled joy when she’s moving and grooving. An example is her 2016 performance with Andrew Laker at Dancing With the Stars Columbus Style performance. In one classic photo from that event, Laker is stylishly holding Byers upside down in the middle of their number.
But her wide, trademark smile is as bright as ever.
“Ronda really has a boundless energy like the Energizer Bunny,” said Laker, who also has enrolled in her classes. “She’s always upbeat like that. You can very much tell that she’s having a lot of fun sharing her craft with others.”
And, the past several years, that includes the Dancing With The Seymour Stars performances.
She has laughed and dismissed the idea of bad days in the studio, made it to her Dance Street teaching post even on the day in 2010 when she severely broke her ankle on her home deck, and finds time to boogie with her husband in the living room when a great song comes on Spotify — especially if she has it set on her favorite ‘80s artists such as Prince, Madonna or Cyndi Lauper.
Last year, one element of her choreography that tickled the funnybone of the evening show crowd involved having dancer Julie Orben move into a sliding-across-the-floor Tom Cruise maneuver from the movie “Risky Business.” Byers laughed at the memory. Forget thinking she’s running low on new ideas for this or any future shows, by the way.
“I have such an imagination,” she said, chuckling at herself.
Not to mention a determination. She has beaten cancer and other adversities, though she never considered she’d still be performing “past the half-century mark.”
“When you’re in high school, you think 50 is old,” she said, laughing. “But I feel quite lucky that I still can dance and that I can do this for a living.”
She acknowledged that the years have brought a few more aches and pains to her work. Yet, probably few would say she has lost a step, no pun intended, to aging.
“I feel very fortunate,” she said, adding that she uses yoga, hiking, rock climbing and maybe ibuprofen every so often to stay in shape. “And I convince my husband (Brent) that a good back rub is necessary every once in a while.”
Backstage at the local dancing fundraiser, she frequently has circulated among the competitors, most of whom never have danced in public on a stage. So she’s quietly calming nerves or offering a small shoulder touch of assurance.
“I think I have this understanding (of them),” she said.
Most of the people who have visited her studio never have taken formal lessons.
“And then they look up and see this crazy lady,” she said.
Her serious side involves choreographing wedding couples’ first dance, including frequently convincing a reserved husband to be willing to try a few possibilities.
“It’s the biggest moment of their life,” she said.
For some of the Dancing With the Stars Columbus Style performers, their moment in the spotlight is pretty big, too, when you realize that many later see their gyrations posted by audience members on social media.
“She is amazing — a true gem to the Columbus community,” said Donnie Ritzline, a a frequent performer at the fundraisers and among the current organizers.
“Actually, I teach people how to be imperfect (dancing),” she said, adding that perfection is an illusion. “It’s so that, in the end, it all looks perfect.”
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What: Dancing With the Stars Columbus Style 2020 fundraiser for Children Inc. Learning Center and Family School Partners.
When: Two shows Jan. 25: 1 p.m. family friendly show with light snacks and 8 p.m. 21-and-older show with heavy hors d’oeuvres.
Where: The Commons, 300 Washington St. in downtown Columbus.
Tickets for the 1 p.m. show: $10 for 17 and younger; $20 for 55 plus; and $30 for adults. Tickets for the 8 p.m. show: $55.
Information: 812-379-2319 or dwtscolumbus.com
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